DRBC Blog

Reading “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Why was Jesus Christ made flesh? First, the chief cause was free grace. It was love in God the Father to send Christ, and love in Christ that he came to be incarnate. Love was the intrinsic motive. Christ is God-man, because he is a lover of man. Christ came out of pity and indulgence to us: Augustine says, “Not our deserts, but our misery, made Christ take flesh.” Christ’s taking flesh was a plot of free grace, and a pure design of love. God himself, though Almighty, was overcome with love. Christ incarnate is nothing but love covered with flesh. As Christ’s assuming our human nature was a masterpiece of wisdom, so it was a monument of free grace.

Second, Christ took our flesh upon him that he might take our sins upon him. He was, says Luther, maximus peccator, the greatest sinner, having the weight of the sins of the whole world lying upon him. He took our flesh that he might take our sins, and so appease God’s wrath.

Third, Christ took our flesh that he might make the human nature appear lovely to God, and the divine nature appear lovely to man.

Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity